Techbridge: How To Inspire
“Boring, nerdy and only for boys.” Some girls may think of engineering in those terms, but not the girls participating in Techbridge, an after-school and summer program for girls across 17 schools in Northern California. In Techbridge, girls get firsthand experience working as an engineer - from hands-on projects that include toy design and taking apart lawnmower engines, to meeting engineers in the field.
Techbridge knows how role models and mentors can be important influences on girls, and so works with corporate partners such as Google, Intel, and Bechtel to host classroom visits, field trips, and a job shadow program. This year on Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day, Techbridge girls showed up for “work” at biotechnology and engineering design companies. Inquisitive and curious, the girls shadowed female role models and learned how engineering matters and helps make the world a better place.
Over nine years, Techbridge has learned that interactions between students and professionals require the right combination of career guidance and social engagement. Knowing how to interact with youth and lead a hands-on activity is probably not something most professionals learn in college or on the job. Techbridge brings together its best practices and offers training for effectively bringing role models into the classroom and planning field trips, both for corporate sponsors and classroom teachers. To learn more, please contact Project Director, Linda Kekelis, at lskekelis@aol.com.
Techbridge is also hosting a Summer Training Institute August 7-9, 2006 for anyone interested in starting technology, science, and engineering programs for girls. Please visit www.techbridgegirls.org to learn more about this and other resources we offer.
Filed under: K-12 Engineering
